HMCo #456s Edith

"[1896-05-17] Sun 17: Off in Edith [#456s] & Kildee [#460s].
[1896-05-20] Wed 20: Edith [#456s] left in charge of Mr. Baker. ..." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Diary, 1896. Manuscript (excerpts). Herreshoff Marine Museum Collection.)

"#456
C[enter] b[oard] cruising boat.
Frame spaces 10 1/2".
Timbers 1 1/8" x 1 1/8".
Planking 3/8 mahogany and 5/16 pine.
Deduct in making moulds 1 13/16".
Keel, flat, 1 7/8" thick, oak.
False keel 1 7/8" y[ellow] p[ine].
Crown of deck about 1/32" in 7 1/2ft.
Deck 5/8" lapped & covered with canvas.
#417 beam mold [to be used for this boat]." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. [Penciled note in Offset Booklet HH.4.095.] Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection, MIT Museum, Cambridge, MA. No date [ca. June 1895].)

"A new boat of the centreboard type built for West Falmouth, Mass., parties, was launched at high tide Wednesday [August 7, 1895]. The new boat's outer planking is of hard pine and cedar, while the deck planks are of white pine. The frames are of oak, as also are the stem, keel, deck beams and stern post. Her principle [sic] dimensions are 22 feet over all, 17 feet on the water line, 6 feet 4 inches beam and 2 feet draught, exclusive or the centreboard. She was given a trial trip in the harbor by the designer, which proved entirely satisfactory. The boat will be shipped to her owner in a few days. [It is tempting to think this is a reference to #456s Edith. The waterline length, the launching date and the homeport would fit. But all other dimensions appear to be wrong.]" (Source: Anon. "Bristol and Vicinity." Bristol Phoenix, August 9, 1895, p. 2.)

"The knockabout boat Edith has been rigged at Herreshoff's and taken to the home of her owner, West Falmouth, Mass." (Source: Anon. "Yachting Notes." Bristol Phoenix, May 15, 1896, p. 2.)

"... The following sales are reported by John G. Alden: ... the Herreshoff 17-foot waterline knockabout Edith to C. M. Baker for use at Buzzards Bay. ... [Note that Edith had been built in 1895 for C. M. Baker. Did he buy her back?]" (Source: Anon. "Notes from the Week's Log." Boston Globe, June 9, 1918, p. 55.)

"... Like A. C. Harrison, [Charles] Baker [a resident of Chapoquoit and member of the Woods Hole Yacht Club] was a prolific patron of Herreshoff. In 1895 he bought Edith [#456s] which had a 17' waterline, then in 1897 another Edith [#486s], a 21 footer. Also in 1897 he bought Alpha [#488s], a catboat that was a sister to Omega [#489s] owned by Mr. King, the developer of Chapoquoit. Baker bought Blazing Star [#515s], a 25 footer, in 1899, followed by three more 21 footers: Radiant [#548s] in 1900, Arethusa [#574s] in 1901, and Illusion [#611s] in 1903. ..." (Source: Littell, Browne. "Early Days of Racing in Woods Hole." In: Woods Hole Historical Collection (Publisher). Spritsail, Volume 10, Number 2, Summer 1996, p. 23-24. http://www.woodsholemuseum.org/woodspages/sprtsl/v10n2-EarlyRace.pdf, retrieved February 10, 2011.)

"N/A"

"[Item Description:] Typewritten (carbon copy) contract and specifications for #456s EDITH." (Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Co.. (creator). Contract and Specifications. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDW02_02340. Folder [no #]. 1895-06-05.)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Signed handwritten (in ink) letter:] I shall be much obliged to you, if you will send me the measurements of the EDITH [#456s], including length 2 inches above water line.
Yours truly …" (Source: Baker, Charles M. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_02380. Correspondence, Folder 1_14, formerly 232. 1895-10-26.)
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"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph hull sections and displacement curve titled 'EDITH. #456. Scale 1in. June 18 [18]95'. With calculations arriving at a total displacement of 57.562cuft = 3710lbs in sea water and tabulated itemized weight estimate estimates arriving at the same amount." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Hull Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_06330. Folder [no #]. 1896-06-18.)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Signed handwritten (in ink) letter:] Your note of 10th at hand. I will wait until you are at leisure. I am glad to see by the papers, that the new torpedo boat [#185p DUPONT?] is as good as the EDITH [#456s] and the COCK ROBIN [#461s].
Yours truly ..." (Source: Baker, Charles M. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_34350. Subject Files, Folder 41, formerly 28-30. 1897-02-12.)
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"[Item Transcription:] Now that the cup races are over and won and our season here is also finished we all begin naturally to look to the next year, and what it will bring for it.
It is a about time I think we had some more boats in our bay from your hand and I write to say that I have been talking with some of our members and have six men who are willing to build in a two design class of 18ft LWL, and I think I can get two or three more. First my idea of two design is got from the fact that some of our men object to the narrow type of boat with little power and an easy heel, being always used to wide boats, while others who have our 15-footers [Buzzards Bay 15 Class] will have nothing else.
I therefore ask if you will make me up a set of dimensions in a rough way of two boats, about 18ft LWL that will sail in your opinion as even as is possible in all kinds of weather with a sheer plan and deck plan of each. I will also ask for price in case 4 of each are built or 6 or more are in case one or other of designs is given up. It might be well to send me contract form for members to sign boats to be ready by June 1, 1904.
Yours very truly,
R W. Emmons 2d
over
If I may suggest somewhat the kind of boat we want. I will say that nothing can be better to our mind than an enlarged 15 footer with low home like [Charles M.] Baker's 21 footer EDITH [#456s]. These boats I would suggest to be built single planked in accord with construction restrictions of our 18 foot restricted class or that of the YRA. To be without bowsprit and to have extra freeboard which to my mind will make them about 28-6 [LOA] and to carry out the stern far enough to make the boat have a light and pretty run although it many not be of much use when sailing.
These boats we would like to compare in every way in workmanship to our 15 footers not as expensive[?] as some of your work but good enough which is better than anybody else that I have yet seen. Drop me a line to 40 Water street Boston in this matter and the sooner I can be given some data to work with the sooner I can turn over the order to you. I congratulate you on the success of [#605s] RELIANCE and I think every one interested in yachting must feel indebted to you for what you have done.
RWE 2d [This will lead to the Buzzards Bay 18 class of four boats #612s, #613s, #614s, and #615s.] [Undated, but referring to the concluded 1903 America's Cup races, suggesting this letter to have been written in September 1903. Apparently the single envelope from R.W. Emmons that is postmarked Sep 21, 19??, filed close by, and carries a penciled note '40 Water Street' which is the address that Emmons wanted a response sent to, belongs to this letter. This would suggest that this letter may date from September 21, 1903.]" (Source: Emmons, Robert W. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_39120. Correspondence, Folder 79, formerly 71. No date (1903-09 ?-21 ??).)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Penciled table:]
EDITH [#456s] 456 - 1150,- 1400
VIERO [#459s] 459 - 1050,- 1300
L[ITTLE] R[OBIN] [#559s] 559 - 985,- 1150
[The first numbers show hull numbers, the second numbers dollar prices as recorded in the Construction Record, the third numbers may be adjusted prices to reflect higher costs at some later time.] [Undated, 1901 or later given mention of LITTLE ROBIN. Given that this paper was filed together with other R.W. Emmons correspondence leading to the new Buzzards Bay 21 class, particularly the first letter which is believed to be from September 21, 1903 and specifically mentions EDITH as a possible role model, one might be inclined to believe that NGH wrote these notes in response to Emmons' inquiry as to the possible cost of the new BB21 boats.] " (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Note. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_39160. Correspondence, Folder 79, formerly 71. No date (1903-09-23 or later ?).)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #456s Edith even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. [Typewritten (carbon copy) contract and specifications for #456s Edith.] Bristol, June 5, 1895. (568 kB)
  Document is copyrighted: Yes, used with permission. Copyright holder: Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum. Original building/sales contract with vessel specifications for #456s Edith (two pages, second page truncated).

• Edith (HMCo-made index card)
• Edith (MIT Museum-made index card)
• Esther ex-Edith (HMCo-made index card)
• Note: The vessel index cards comprise two sets of a total of some 3200 cards about vessels built by HMCo, with dimensions and information regarding drawings, later or former vessel names, and owners. They were compiled from HMCo's early days until 1920 and added to in later decades, apparently by Hart Nautical curator William A. Baker and his successors. While HMCo seems to have used only one set of index cards, all sorted by name and, where no name was available, by number, later users at MIT apparently divided them into two sets of cards, one sorted by vessel name, the other by vessel number and greatly expanded the number of cards. Original HMCo cards are usually lined and almost always punched with a hole at bottom center while later cards usually have no hole, are unlined, and often carry substantially less information. All cards are held by the Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections of the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Mass.

Name: Edith
Type: J & M
Length: 17'
Owner: Baker, C. M.

Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. "A Partial List of Herreshoff Clients." In: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. Herreshoff Yachts. Bristol, Rhode Island, ca. 1931.

• Edith
• Esther ex-Edith
• Note: The L. Francis Herreshoff index cards comprise a set of some 1200 cards about vessels built by HMCo, with dimensions and / or ownership information. Apparently compiled in the early 1930s, for later HMCo-built boats like the Fishers Island 23s or the Northeast Harbor 30s are not included. Added to in later decades, apparently by L. F. Herreshoff as well as his long-time secretary Muriel Vaughn and others. Also 46 cards of L. F. Herreshoff-designed vessels. The original set of index cards is held by the Herreshoff Marine Museum and permission to display is gratefully acknowledged.

Name: Edith
Type: 17' J & M
Owner: C. M. Baker
Row No.: 182

Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis. "Partial List of Herreshoff-Built Boats." In: Herreshoff, L. Francis. Capt. Nat Herreshoff. The Wizard of Bristol. New York, 1953, p. 325-343.

Month: June
Day: 6
Year: 1895
E/P/S: S
No.: 0456
Name: Edith
LW: 17'
B: 7' 6"
D: 2' 7"
Rig: J & M
CB: y
Ballast: Lead
Amount: $1150.00
Notes Constr. Record: changed to "Esther" 1899
Last Name: Baker
First Name: C. M.

Source: Vermilya, Peter and Maynard Bray. "Transcription of the HMCo. Construction Record." Unpublished database, ca. 2000.

Note: The transcription of the HMCo Construction Record by Peter Vermilya and Maynard Bray was performed independently (and earlier) than that by Claas van der Linde. A comparison of the two transcriptions can be particularly useful in those many cases where the handwriting in the Construction Record is difficult to decipher.

"Charles M. Baker of Brookline was a Boston banker who in 1894/1895 had bought from Chapoquoit's developer Franklin King several lots in Chapoquoit on one of which he eventually built a large summer home complete with boathouse. For more information see Jenkins, Candace. The Development of Falmouth as a Summer Resort. 1850 - 1900. In: Woods Hole Historical Collection (Publisher). Spritsail, Volume 6, Number 1, Winter 1992, p. 23-24. www.woodsholemuseum.org/woodspages/sprtsl/v6n1-SummerRes.pdf, retrieved February 13, 2011." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. February 13, 2011.)

"Poor's Manual of Railroads, Volume 21, of 1888 lists on p. 1254 as officers of the Kanawha and Coal River Railroad, E. M. Farnsworth as President, E. M. Farnsworth as Treasurer and C. M. Baker as Secretary, all of Boston. Edith's initial owner was C. M. Baker. Her second owner was E. M. Farnsworth, Jr." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. June 11, 2024.)

"Built in 62 days (contract to launch; equivalent to $19/day, 60 lbs displacement/day)." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. June 11, 2024.)

Note: Research notes contain information about a vessel that is often random and unedited but has been deemed useful for future research.